Red Zone Play: For the Houston Texans White Kahale Warring Jersey , A Win Is A Win, Right? The first half of last weekend’s game went just like you would have expected coming into the 2018 season. Houston, clearly the superior team when it comes to roster talent, dominated the Indianapolis Colts. Sure, T.Y. Hilton and Andrew Luck looked scary from time to time, but seeing Jadeveon Clowney make it around the left tackle to recover a botched snap faster than Luck could get to a ball a foot in front of him was exactly the sort of dominance we all expected from the Texans’ defense. Sure, the offensive line still did its best impersonation of an elite set of traffic cones, but Nick Martin bulldozed some Colts, Deshaun Watson slipped his way through tackles, and Houston looked like it had finally found a way to win. J.J. Watt and Clowney showed us what those two could do when both were firing on all cylinders.It was time to get excited. Then halftime came Ibraheim Campbell Jersey White , and once again, we witnessed Houston’s inability to make halftime adjustments at a pro level. While Deshaun Watson did manage to get a touchdown in the final three quarters of play (including overtime), it was yet another appearance of the All-Field Goal Offense 鈩?that saved the day. Is it wrong to feel that celebrating this win just feels cheap? The Texans faced what might arguably be the weakest opponent on a weak schedule and had to go into overtime to win on the leg of Ka’imi Fairbairn after trading field goals with the Colts. To make it worse, if overtime still worked in the old sudden-death manner, the folks in Indy would be celebrating a win right now.To borrow a phrase, it’s like backing into a W. For the amount of money fans are expected to shell out to buy tickets, pay for parking, spend on overpriced concessions and drastically marked up merchandise ($40 for a tee shirt that costs $4 to print, anyone?), and everything else that comes with being a fan of the Houston Texans Vyncint Smith Jersey White , we deserve better than what’s being put on the field. Players like Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller V, J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Tyrann Mathieu deserve better than the game management we’ve seen over the course of the Bill O’Brien era. Maybe we’re just expected to be happy Houston finally won a game. Maybe we should get excited that Bill O’Brien staved off going 1-13 to elevate the team to 2-12 over the last 14 games. Maybe we should raise a toast to the slight spark of hope that we haven’t watched J.J. Watt’s career—you know, the guy who is arguably the best defensive lineman in NFL history—get flushed down the toilet. I suppose we should also cheer that we’re not seeing the same thing happen to Deshaun Watson. A Houston Texans win is a win, right? What do you think? Did this one give you all the feelz? Are you rushing out to Academy or the Texans’ team store to buy your new jersey, jacket, or other piece of memorabilia to celebrate the new one game winning streak? Let us know your take in the comments section. After losing three close games to fall to 0-3 for the first time since 2008, the Houston Texans are pondering all the little things they did wrong that contributed to the defeats.They've had a few turnovers but possibly more detrimental to their success than that has been the constant smaller mistakes that have kept the team from running the way it should.As usual Kareem Jackson Jersey , coach Bill O'Brien shouldered the blame for their latest loss, a 27-22 defeat to the Giants which gave them their first win this season.Though he said it was his fault, he refused to go into details about what he's trying to do better."There's a lot of things," he said. "Like I always say to you guys when things don't go well 鈥?and they haven't gone well lately 鈥?it starts with me. So, I just think there's a lot of different things that I can do to be better. I'm not going to list them all."Though he took the blame for Houston's failure on Sunday, there are certainly plenty of other factors that have kept the Texans out of the win column. The first and most glaring has been the play of the offensive line.The unit has allowed quarterback Deshaun Watson to be sacked 10 times and hit many more. The group has also committed an inordinate amount of penalties in the first three games. Though several different players have been penalized, right tackle Julien Davenport has struggled the most in this area and had five penalties on Sunday alone.He was called for three false start penalties and flagged two other times for holding."He's struggling, and we have to work with him to keep getting better, but we're definitely looking at that position," O'Brien said. "He's a good guy. He's going to work hard to get better Kareem Jackson Jersey White , but he needs to improve, no doubt."O'Brien isn't sure what he can do in practice to help his team eliminate these penalties, but said Monday that he's working to figure out something.Houston is also intent on improving its red zone efficiency after scoring touchdowns on just two of five trips inside the 20 on Sunday. O'Brien said the penalties have contributed to the problems in that area, but there are also other factors."Statistics tell you that when you have a negative play in the red area, you really have no chance of scoring a touchdown," O'Brien said."So, I think on all of the drives where we've had to settle for a field goal, we've had a negative play. We have to figure out how to stop doing that.""It's not good, and that's been one of our main issues on offense," he continued. "When you have a lot of yards Womens Senio Kelemete Jersey , it doesn't matter when you're not scoring touchdowns."Though the Texans are certainly disappointed that their season has gotten off to such a dreadful start, O'Brien believes that his players will work hard to try and turn things around. Houston will try again for its first win on Sunday in a visit to AFC South foe Indianapolis."We have a bunch of good guys in there that are very much together," O'Brien said. "We've only played one divisional game. We've got a big one this week. So, we just have to keep grinding. There's no other way out of it. There's no choice."

The Bengals look like they will give Andy Dalton an actual shot at proving he can be Zac Taylor’s guy."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBABengals News (4/30): Cincinnati’s draft shows confidence in Andy Dalton for nowNew http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-ryan-glasgow-jersey ,15commentsThe Bengals look like they will give Andy Dalton an actual shot at proving he can be Zac Taylor’s guy.EDTShareTweetShareShareBengals News (4/30): Cincinnati’s draft shows confidence in Andy Dalton for nowCharles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportsCincinnati Bengals drafting quarterback Ryan Finley divides USA TODAY writersHow did USA TODAY’s NFL team assess the Cincinnati Bengals’ selection of North Carolina State quarterback Ryan Finley in the fourth round of this past weekend’s 2019 NFL Draft? Depends which writer you ask.Oklahoma's Anderson Inspires And Aspires at No. 211In another universe, star-crossed Oklahoma running back Rodney Anderson would have spent April on a whirlwind tour of the NFL as a first-round draft pick. Big at 6-3, 224 pounds. Fast with 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Accomplished with 201 yards in the Rose Bowl against the baying junkyard Dogs of Georgia and their sixth-ranked defense.Bengals 2019 Draft Picks in PhotosSee action photos of all the new Bengals rookies selected in the 2019 NFL Draft.Bengals news: New Cincinnati OC explains why team made surprise pick of Drew Sample at No. 52The Cincinnati Bengals selected former Washington Huskies tight end Drew Sample in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, making the up-and-comer the fourth player at this position off the board over the weekend.NFL Minute: Bengals rivalry with Steelers extends to the draftThe vicious rivalry between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers has been firmly inserted into the NFL draft over the last several years.Cincinnati Bengals excited about addition of Renell WrenThe Bengals selected the 6-foot-5, 318-pound defensive tackle in the fourth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday as they sought to add some depth to the interior line. Wren brings more length to the position and makes the Bengals a little more versatile inside.Egger: Bengals’ draft shows the Andy Dalton era likely isn’t ending soonI​ could​ save both​ of​ us​ a lot​ of​ time with​ this post-draft​ column by copying and pasting​ last week’s pre-draft​ column –​​ you know, the one where I tried to lay out the case for the Bengals using the 11th pick to take Dwayne Haskins. Then I could add, “yeah, well they took someone named Jonah Williams instead, so nevermind” to the end of it, instead of writing another piece aimed almost entirely at Andy Dalton and what the Bengals will or won’t do with their quarterback.Random NewsSuper Bowl, divisional odds, over/under and playoff odds for all 32 NFL teams for 2019 seasonThe Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has released Super Bowl odds, conference and divisional odds, season win totals and odds to make the postseason for all 32 NFL teams.Ezekiel Ansah meets with Seattle SeahawksSince the start of free agency, Ansah has visited the Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills Jake Fisher Jersey White , but has yet to sign. Meanwhile, fellow pass rushers Trey Flowers, Justin Houston and Sheldon Richardson have found new homes.Matt Nagy: David Montgomery creates mismatchesWhere the Bears saw Howard as a one-note runner, who didn't stress defenses in the passing game or create many yards on his own, coach Matt Nagy multiple times described Montgomery as a "three-down" player who can do it all.Joe Theismann considering QB Haskins wearing No. 7"I'm anxious to sit down and talk to Dwayne about that," Theismann told NBC Sports Washington. "I'm not opposed to it. I'm not saying yes yet, but I really want to sit down and talk to the young man and get a chance to meet him. I know he's reached out and said he wants to ask me, so as early as I can get back into town and be able to set up an opportunity when he gets into town to be able to sit down and talk to him about it."Eagles pick up QB Carson Wentz's fifth-year optionWentz is entering his fourth season as Philly's starting signal-caller. Since the Eagles selected Wentz second overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, the QB has racked up 10,152 passing yards, 70 touchdown passes, 28 interceptions and 23 wins. Wentz was set to earn league MVP in 2017 before suffering a season-ending injury and watching Philly go on a Super Bowl run without him. Williams is more than ready to dominate the line of scrimmage in the NFL."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBAFilm RoomFilm Room: Jonah Williams is the franchise tackle the Bengals have been searching forNew,19commentsWilliams is more than ready to dominate the line of scrimmage in the NFL.EDTShareTweetShareShareFilm Room: Jonah Williams is the franchise tackle the Bengals have been searching forChristopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsThe Bengals had offensive line issues long before they watched Andrew Whitworth move west, but that and the loss of Kevin Zeitler made the position a major liability. They originally tried to replace Whitworth with Cedric Ogbuehi, but that was a foolish endeavor. Last offseason, they acted aggressively to try to improve the offensive line and Jeff Driskel Jersey , in part, repair that blunder. They signed Bobby Hart to play right tackle and parlayed their first-round draft pick into center Billy Price and left tackle Cordy Glenn with the help of a trade with the Buffalo Bills. Hart did not impress, but Glenn was at least an upgrade. The jury is still out on Price.This year in another bold move, they spent the 11th overall draft pick on Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams. This made Williams the first offensive lineman taken in the 2019 NFL Draft.Williams was seen by many as the top offensive tackle in the draft, and for good reason. He did an excellent job as a run blocker for the Crimson Tide throughout his career and developed into an excellent pass blocker as a junior in 2018.Let’s take a look at what Williams can do from the left tackle position. Williams has a great kick step which he demonstrates in the clip below. He keeps his hips and shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and gains depth. Once the rusher gets to his hip making it nearly impossible for him to make an inside move, Williams turns and engages. The defender has no chance of beating Williams with speed, and attempts a spin move which takes him right into his own teammate.So why was it important for Williams to keep his hips square in the clip above? Because in man protection, he is responsible for his man whether he rushes the edge or stunts to the inside gap. The clip below gives an example of this. Williams starts with a kick step, but quickly recognizes that the defender is rushing the B gap (to his inside) so he switches to the post step. This takes him forward and inside. The defender gets some initial penetration, but Williams is able to recover and get his body between the rusher and the quarterback. One of the best things that an edge rusher can do is strike the offensive tackle with their hands initiating a power move that they can then counter off of. Williams is having none of it here. When the defender strikes him, he immediately chops with both hands breaking the defenders grip, throwing off his balance, and not allowing him to use his length. “Said woman take it slow, and it’ll work itself out fine. All we need is just a little patience.” I’m fairly certain Axl Rose was not talking about offensive line play when he sang these words for the 1988 Guns N’ Roses song “Patience,” but he could have been.Patience is important to an offensive tackle. It is of paramount importance that he not turn too fast for fear of a speedy edge rusher. In the clip below, Williams starts to turn as the rusher approaches his hip http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-clint-boling-jersey , but he doesn’t bring his inside leg all the way around. This leaves him in good position when the rusher attempts a spin move back to the inside. Williams is patient, and simply slides to the inside to re-engage on the block as the defender comes around. If he had overcommitted to the edge, he would not have been able to make this adjustment.On this play, The edge defender immediately loops to the inside. Williams is on the slide side of the protection. Essentially, this means he is playing zone, not man. So he lets the defender go and keeps his eyes up. This is a blitz and the defender rushing the edge comes from space with a big head of steam. Williams is able to pick him up and use his momentum to push him right past the quarterback.Slants, loops, and stunts in the defensive front force offensive linemen to adjust on the fly. As the edge defender slants to the inside in this clip, Williams passes him off to the guard and picks up the inside linebacker who has looped around to blitz to the outside. Williams shows his strength as a run blocker on this down block. He engages with good leverage and strikes with his hands tight. He keeps his feet moving on contact and drives his opponent down field. The defender is eventually able to shake off the block and get involved in the tackle, but only after Alabama has gained close to a first down.This is a counter play with the right guard and H-back pulling to the left side. Williams is once again blocking down, but this time he is responsible for blocking a linebacker. He works up to the second level and just as he reaches the linebacker he chops his feet and lowers his hips to ensure that he attacks the defender with proper leverage. This is similar to the way that a defender might breakdown before attempting a tackle when coming from space. Williams engages and follows through with his hips opening up a nice hole for the running back.Williams is on the backside of this run play. His first steps put his head into the gap between the defender and the ball carrier, From there he is able to work his body in front and turn his hips to completely cut off the defensive end on this backside reach block.Williams is an extremely talented player who should start at tackle for the Bengals immediately. He gets great movement in the run game and might be the best pass blocker on the roster from day one. He played against an extremely high level of competition and matched up well against fellow first-round picks Clelin Ferrell and Montez Sweat.By drafting Williams the Bengals took a huge step towards finally repairing an offensive line that has struggled for years. He has all the makings of a franchise left tackle.

Bengals Bytes (9/4): Trust between Cincinnati and Michael Johnson played a part in him getting released Bengals prep for opener with best of both worldsThe Bengals head into Sunday’s opener in Indy (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Channel 12) tipping about as much balance as you can get with one of the NFL’s biggest spending teams matched with one of the league’s youngest rosters.Marvin Lewis News Conference Transcript 9/3“It’s exciting. It really is exciting to be at this point. When your past season finishes Darqueze Dennard Jersey , it seems so far away. Then as you get through to when we started the offseason program, through the draft process and training camp, it really seems to fly by. It seems like a long time, those nine weeks (before the draft), five weeks in between (minicamp and training camp) and six weeks (of training camp). Those go by pretty fast. I am excited about where we are, and I’m excited about our preparation this week to play a game on Sunday and win. That’s what is exciting about it. They worked hard, and now we’re at the point where everything you do counts for real.”Quick hits: Green, Dalton carry the base; Mike goes from cut to captain, Lazor, Haslett on HackenbergThe Bengals have been the team of wide receiver A.J. Green and quarterback Andy Dalton pretty much since they arrived within 24 hours of each other in April of 2011. But their teammates made it official Monday when they voted Green and Dalton captains of the offense. They joined right end Michael Johnson and strong safety Shawn Williams on defense and linebacker Vincent Rey and free safety Clayton Fejedelem on special teams.Harris to IR; Hackenberg to PSOn Monday morning the Bengals officially announced the signing of former second-round pick Christian Hackenberg to the practice squad to serve as the No. 3 quarterback. They also sent rookie cornerback Davontae Harris (knee) to injured reserve to make room for Sunday’s re-signing of Michael Johnson. Harris is eligible to be re-called in mid-season.Paul Dehner Jr. predicts Cincinnati Bengals' seasonThe national narrative and overlooked nature of the Bengals makes sense. They did bring back their coach without a playoff win. They did retain their quarterback who lacks the “wow” factor that moves the needle. They did make their biggest offseason splashes in the trenches Randy Bullock Jersey White , where few pay attention.Bengals Notes: Mutual trust allowed team to release, re-sign Johnson; injury updateThe Bengals' decision to release veteran defensive end Michael Johnson on Saturday and re-sign him on Monday was a procedural one that allowed them to keep another player on the initial 53-man roster, and the only way it could happen was the matter of trust built up between the team and him.Bengals place fifth-round pick Davontae Harris on IRHe played 57 defensive snaps and 14 special teams snaps in the preseason opener against the Bears, tying for the team high with six tackles, including one for loss, and forcing a fumble.Random BytesUW left tackle Trey Adams expected to miss most of season with back injuryA preseason All-American, the 6-foot-8, 316-pound Adams missed the second half of the 2017 season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He had been on track to return from the knee surgery last month until the back injury surfaced early last week.The Biggest Winners and Losers from NFL PreseasonThe preseason could also have an adverse effect on a player’s professional outlook. Veterans can lose their roster spots, bringing uncertainty to their futures and, for some Womens Preston Brown Jersey , signaling an end of a career. The Chicago Bears cut Victor Cruz after he appeared in all four exhibition contests last year. He never gained traction with another club and currently works for ESPN.Colin Kaepernick Named Face of Nike’s 30th Anniversary of ‘Just Do It’ CampaignNike selected former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick as the face of its “Just Do It” campaign, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Darren Rovell of ESPN reported the choice of Kaepernick, who started the movement to kneel during the United States national anthem to protest racial injustice in August 2016LeSean McCoy Eligible for Bills’ Game vs. Ravens Amid Police InvestigationBuffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy remains available to play in the team’s Week 1 game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens as police in Georgia investigate a July invasion at a home he owns that allegedly caused injuries to his ex-girlfriend.Bengals awards from their 34-23 win over the Colts The Bengals defeated the Colts in dramatic fashion in Week 1, stifling Andrew Luck’s bid at a great storyline in his long-awaited return to the lineup. With the victory, Cincinnati had a number of players and specific instances that stood out the most in the performance.Cast your vote and sound off on your winners of each of our weekly awards!Most Valuable Player:Andy Dalton: As usual, a quarterback lands on the MVP list. However, there is more than meets the eye here. It wasn’t the most productive or pretty of performances by Dalton, but he led the team to an improbable comeback and nailed some clutch throws down the stretch. He finished 21-of-28 for 243 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. However, perhaps the most important play by No. 14 was an effort-filled chase-down of Kenny Moore II after a very early interception to save a pick-six. Joe Mixon: The Bengals’ starting back had a great day against Indianapolis. He had 17 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown on the ground Womens Trey Hopkins Jersey , coupled with five catches for 54 yards. His effort on the day might have been at the highest level of any Bengals player on the team. Yes, he took advantage of some nice running lanes, but also created many opportunities with his combination of shiftiness and power. Randy Bullock: For reasons both justifiable and overblown, Bengals fans have long clamored for a young, long-term solution at kicker. However, Cincinnati’s brain trust made the unpopular decision to keep Bullock once again in 2018. In a game full of ebbs and flows, as well as lead changes, Cincinnati needed their kicker to come huge and he did. Bullock was 4-of-4 on extra points and 2-of-2 on field goal attempts, accumulating 10 total points. Carlos Dunlap: Though the Bengals’ pass-rush was inconsistent on Sunday, it gained some steam in the second half. Dunlap was a big reason for it Joe Mixon Jersey White , getting a sack (with one other called back from penalty), two tackles and a pass defended.Also, this is a penalty in today’s NFL, apparently:Clayton Fejedelem: The Bengals’ second-year safety had a big day after being pressed into extensive action because of Shawn Williams’ ejection. While Andrew Luck had a nice statistical day, sometimes at the expense of Fejedelem, the young defensive back made a number of nice plays. He had the game-deciding play with a strip, recovery and 83-yard return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but also had 10 total tackles.

Packers vs. Steelers Kingsley Keke Green Bay Packers Jersey , Preseason 2018: Game Time, TV Broadcasts, Streaming, & More In 2017, the finest outing that Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Hundley had as a passer came against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After taking over for an injured Aaron Rodgers, Hundley recorded a passer rating of more than 90 in just three contests, and his performance in the Packers’ 31-28 loss in Pittsburgh was by far the best, as he completed 17 of 26 passes for 245 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.That result was good for a passer rating of 134.3, more than 20 points higher than his next-best outing and a full 63 points better than his overall rating for the year. On Thursday, Hundley will get another chance to face the Steelers, as the Packers host them in a preseason game that is the second exhibition for each team. This game, however, should see the return of Aaron Rodgers to the Lambeau Field turf. He and head coach Mike McCarthy have both discussed his likely return to the field this week Kingsley Keke Jersey 2019 , and it looks like the Packers will try to get all four of their signal-callers some game action. Of course, Rodgers is the most highly-anticipated of the group, as he has not taken snaps at Lambeau since week four a year ago — nearly ten and a half months ago.Will Rodgers’ return live up to the excitement? Probably not, as this is a preseason game, but be sure to tune in regardless. Here’s how to do it.Game PrimerWHO?Green Bay Packers (1-0) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)WHERE?Lambeau FieldGreen Bay, WisconsinWHEN?Thursday, August 16th, 20187:00 PM Central TimeWe’re looking for more readers to join the Acme Packing Company FanPulse group and weigh in on polls tracking the Packers’ 2018 season!Click here for more information or click here to sign up.HOW?Local TV BroadcastsPackers TV NetworkLead stations: NBC-4 (Milwaukee), NBC-26 (Green Bay), ABC-27 (Madison)Commentators: Kevin Harlan, James LoftonSteelers TV NetworkLead stations: CBS-2 (Pittsburgh), CBS-10 (Altoona), CBS-21 (Harrisburg), FOX-66 (Erie) Color Rush Kingsley Keke Jersey , NBC-4 (Columbus, OH), CBS-27 (Youngstown, OH)Commentators: Bob Pompeani, Charlie BatchRadio BroadcastsPackers Radio NetworkCommentators: Wayne Larrivee, Larry McCarrenOnline StreamingNFL GamePass(Free 7-day trial available)NFL Network ReplaysFriday, August 17, 2:00 AM ET & 1:00 PM ET; Sunday, August 19, 7:00 PM ET; Wednesday, August 22, 8:00 PM ET; Thursday, August 23, 3:00 PM ETANYTHING ELSE?Recent Head-to-Head GamesRegular SeasonWeek 12 2017: @Steelers 31 Cheap Kingsley Keke Jersey , Packers 28PreseasonWeek 2 2015: @Steelers 24, Packers 19PostseasonSuper Bowl XLV: Packers 31, Steelers 25This PreseasonPackers: won 31-17 vs. Tennessee TitansSteelers: won 31-14 at Philadelphia EaglesPUP ListsPackers: OLB Nick PerrySteelers: ILB Ryan Shazier, WR Eli Rogers Rules changes will be debated this week, with a Packers representative playing a key role in the discussions."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections The APC PodcastPackers Film RoomFantasy Football AdviceCDTShareTweetShareShareCheese Curds, 3/25: Mark Murphy will discuss rules changes at NFL Annual Meeting Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TAs 31 NFL owners gather in Arizona this week, Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy heads there as well as the team’s primary representative for the NFL’s Annual Meeting. This year’s meeting is sure to generate some headlines for the league as a whole — between rules changes, Robert Kraft’s ongoing legal saga, and preparations for the NFL Draft, it should be a fascinating few days.For the Packers, particularly the team’s personnel department, the focus has shifted from the chaos of free agency to the excitement of the 2019 NFL Draft. Pro Days continue and player visits will begin soon, as the team weighs its options with two first-round selections. Given some of the rumblings about quarterbacks, general manager Brian Gutekunst should be feeling good about getting an impact player with the 12th pick (and possibly the 30th as well) Kingsley Keke Jersey Womens , and there are any number of different directions he can go.Still, for the next few days we’ll be keeping a close eye out to see if the NFL makes any adjustments to instant replay or overtime — after all, rules changes are usually the biggest item to come out of these meetings. And with Murphy being one of the members of the Competition Committee, which largely dictates the direction the league goes on these changes, any comments from him should shed some light on the likelihood of approving any of the tweaks.Inbox: There’s plenty to sort out this week | Packers.comWes Hodkiewicz is on board with the "Big Bob" Tonyan nickname, and he promised to get a question in about the young tight end at this week's meetings.What to expect at the 2019 NFL’s Annual League Meeting this week - SBNation.comThe league meeting officially gets underway today in Arizona, and between rules changes, Robert Kraft's situation, and replay tweaks, there should be plenty of news coming out in the coming days.For versatile Za’Darius Smith, there’s more than one route to the quarterback | Packersnews.comWe’ll hear a lot about Smith’s ability to rush from the interior in the coming months, and I still think that the likelihood of him sliding inside on passing downs means that the Packers will still draft a pass-rusher highly in April.Categorizing the Packers’ draft needs following free agency | Packers WireWe carried out a similar exercise last week in Walkthroughs, but this piece sorts the Packers' needs into tiers. My one gripe is that I think that thanks to Bashaud Breeland's departure, cornerback becomes a secondary need (no pun intended) Kingsley Keke Green Bay Packers Jersey , not a tertiary need.NFL draft news, rumors: FCS QB buzz, Gruden loves Lock? | SI.comThe Raiders -- and Jon Gruden in particular -- are apparently in "love" with Missouri QB Drew Lock as a prospect. For the Packers, the more quarterbacks come off the board in the top 11 picks, the better.'Grateful' Gronkowski announces retirement | ESPNI expected that Rob Gronkowski would come back for 2019 since he didn't retire quickly after the Super Bowl. Now this brings tight end to the top of the Patriots' need list, and they could be in play for one of the top options near the end of round one.Angry at being booted from Bryan Adams concert, St. John's woman stabs boyfriend in face | The Chronicle HeraldThere were apparently issues brewing for a long time, but not getting to hear Adams perform "Cuts Like a Knife" evidently was this woman's last straw.

If Things Stay The Same Womens Dylan Cole Jersey , Expect More Pain"The Houston football club has produced several seasons in a row with very similar results. A team that takes the field multiple times a year looking confused and unprepared, poor in-game coaching decisions, multiple key injuries, porous offensive line play and a secondary that gives up big plays like it’s cool. Whatever Bill O’Brien, Romeo Crennel and the rest of the coaching staff did to prepare the team for week one, two, three and seventeen clearly didn’t work. Showing up in New England to play Bill Belichick and Tom Brady that way is akin to forfeiting the game. Doing it in the Wild Card Round in your own house is begging to get fired. Deciding to run the ball up the gut on first and second downs more than any team in the league with a running back corps that features one guy who can get it done in Lamar Miller Ryan Griffin Jersey White , one guy who could get it done if the offensive line was top ten and a mixture of guys who’ve never gotten it done is just poor foresight on the game planner/play caller... i.e. Bill O’Brien. The injury bug has decimated the Texans two straight seasons. While they made a move last off-season to address it by revamping their workout programs, it had mixed results. In the 2018 season, Houston did see some rather miraculous improvements in injury recovery from Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt, but losing Will Fuller V and having spotty contributions from KeKe Coutee, D’Onta Foreman and others gave mixed results when scoring one-and-done strength and condition coach Luke Richesson. When you look at the teams who made it to the divisional round, and those still alive to play in the Championship games, the solidness of their offensive lines is clear for all to see. The L.A. Rams quarterback Jared Goff was sacked 33 times all year versus Deshaun Watson’s 65 times. And the “Watson holds onto the ball too long” argument doesn’t hold water as Goff isn’t Kurt Warner’s quick release second coming by any stretch of the imagination. The Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes was sacked less than half the times Watson was (30) while Todd Gurley managed to rack up 1251 rushing yards to Lamar Miller’s 973. And Miller’s longest run was the epic 97 yarder while Gurley’s longest of the year was only 37. Talking about the issues with the cornerbacks has been an annual thing since Rick Smith let A.J. Bouye out of the building a few years ago. With father time catching Jonathan Joseph faster than Joseph can close on an opposing wide receiver Womens D'Onta Foreman Jersey , Kevin Johnson’s inability to show he was worth more than a 4th round pick and Aaron Colvin’s inability to stay on the field, Houston’s cornerback room is almost as bad as the offensive line group. Factor in the blind officiating that allows J.J. Watt to wear opposing offensive lineman as necklaces, Jadeveon Clowney to get tackled multiple times a game and its amazing Houston won as many games as they did in 2018. When it comes down to it, however, every team deals with injuries, bad calls and blind luck that goes against them - well, maybe not the Patriots Aaron Colvin Jersey White , but that’s a subject for another time. As Brian Gaine enters his first full offseason, with a solid chance to upgrade and retool the Houston Texans roster, there is definitely hope for the player component of this team. With just a handful of key new players, the Texans roster could rocket into the stratosphere of NFL talent. But that doesn’t address the lack of game prep, poor offensive scheming and atrociously predictable play calling. Last week, we ran a poll to see who you felt was to blame for Houston’s insulting exit from the playoffs. It’s not a surprise that 55% of the Battle Red faithful felt Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien (and to some extent Romeo Crennel) was to blame and should find himself in the unemployment line. With guys like Mike McCarthy still out there, Cal McNair has options if he’s going to make a change. Chances are Andre Johnson Jersey , that won’t happen as McNair is most likely waiting to see what O’Brien and Gaine can do with a full year together. But, that still leaves the option of hiring an offensive coordinator - which McNair should insist on after years of O’Brien proving he can’t get the job done. So, here’s today’s question: Who would you bring in as an offensive coordinator, if you were Cal McNair? Or, would you just clean house right now and try to get ahead of the closing window that is the Texans veteran core of top flight players? Give us your thoughts in the comments box. Houston Texans NewsTexans CB Aaron Colvin on his season: ‘I’m pretty disappointed’ (Houston Chronicle)Texans no match for Colts in playoff loss (Houston Chronicle)NFL memes mock Texans’ playoff misfortune (Houston Chronicle)Kareem Jackson, Tyrann Mathieu hope to return to Texans (Houston Chronicle)NFL NewsFoles expected to be in demand this offseason (NFL.com)Allen Hurns: ‘I’ll be good to go’ by start of season (NFL.com)Zeke: Dak a ‘grown-(expletive) man’ vs. ‘Hawks (NFL.com)Cowboys’ resilience on display in clinching drive (NFL.com)Seahawks’ run-first approach stalls offense in loss (NFL.com)NFL coaching tracker: Latest news, developments (NFL.com)Houston & Collegiate SportsSteph Curry Deshaun Watson Jersey White , Warriors’ announcers are very salty about James Harden’s step-back (The Dream Shake)Austin Rivers’ time as a Rockets’ villain is over (The Dream Shake)

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said that he was hoping things would “all feel new and feel different” once the team started to work with new head coach Zac Taylor this week.Another longtime member of the team says that things do feel different after the offseason program got underway on Tuesday. Wide receiver A.J. Green has never played for an NFL head coach other than Marvin Lewis and said that Taylor’s presence carries a different energy Tyler Boyd Jersey White , particularly when it comes to the offensive side of the ball.“I think he’s definitely going to be hands-on. That’s good,” Green said, via the team’s website. “He’s young. It looks like the offense is going to [be] very high flying. We have the talent to be real good. We just have to put everything together … There’s a different energy in this building.”Green added that “it doesn’t look like [Taylor’s] first head coaching job,” so things aren’t as new and different as they could be in Cincinnati. CINCINNATI (AP) — Andy Dalton has a reserved parking space near to the players’ entrance at Paul Brown Stadium this year.The leisurely walk reminds him that he’s no longer an up-and-comer.The chances to break that long playoff drought are starting to dwindle for the 30-year-old quarterback.Coming off one of his least-productive seasons, Dalton is the focus of a reconfigured offense that will put more emphasis on long plays. The Bengals showed flashes of it during preseason.In the opener, Dalton completed 6 of 8 passes http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-joe-mixon-jersey , four of them for at least 20 yards — a satisfying showing for an offense that was among the worst at big plays last season.Dalton completed 71 percent of his throws in preseason with four touchdowns, one interception — the receiver fell on his route — and a passer rating of 130.9.“I felt real comfortable with the way I played,” Dalton said Wednesday. “With the way this offense has moved and the way we’re doing things, I feel really good about where we are.”The Bengals finished last in the league in yards last season, a franchise-worst showing. Much of it was linked to a line that couldn’t open holes for running backs or protect Dalton, who threw for the fewest yards of his career in a full season.Interim coordinator Bill Lazor was retained at the end of the season and given latitude to overhaul the playbook Jessie Bates III Jersey White , with more of an emphasis on big plays. Despite some misgivings about an adjustment period, the offense had few glitches during the preseason.“He (Lazor) feels comfortable with it, and our guys feel comfortable with it,” Dalton said. “The big thing is we’re playing fast.”The offense gets its first real test Sunday at Indianapolis, a place where the Bengals haven’t won since 1997. Much of the focus will be on the revamped line featuring new starters at four positions — left guard Clint Boling is the only holdover.The line was better at giving Dalton time during the preseason, although it still had some rough times against Dallas.“Any time the quarterback has time and the ability to stop into his throws Womens Randy Bullock Jersey , you feel like you’re going to be able to put the ball in a good spot,” Dalton said. “It’s a big part of the reason we had the success we did in the preseason.”Dalton helped the Bengals reach the playoffs in each of his first five seasons from 2011-15, losing in the first round each time. They’ve failed to reach the playoffs each of the past two seasons. Cincinnati hasn’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season, the sixth-longest streak of postseason futility in NFL history.Dalton is entering his eighth season on one of the NFL’s youngest teams. Only five players have more experience. Punter Kevin Huber, long snapper Clark Harris and defensive end Michael Johnson are in their 10th seasons. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap and defensive tackle Geno Atkins are in their ninth seasons.Dalton, receiver A.J. Green and Boling are the oldest veterans on offense Jordan Evans Jersey , each in their eighth seasons.Coach Marvin Lewis awards parking places near the players’ entrance to those with the most experience. Dalton has graduated to one of the coveted spots.“I feel like I’m one of the oldest on the team,” he said.INJURY UPDATESLeft tackle Cordy Glenn was limited in practice Wednesday because of a shoulder injury suffered during the preseason. Receiver Cody Core was held out with a back injury.BAD DAYS IN INDYThe Bengals are looking to break a streak of eight straight losses in Indianapolis, including a 26-10 playoff defeat in the first round of the 2014 season. Dalton was only 18 of 35 for 155 yards in an offense missing an injured Green.

Lions roster moves: TE Marcus Lucas cut As Friday draws towards a close Isaac Nauta Jersey Mens , the Detroit Lions are continuing to make their way down to their 53-man roster limit that looms at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday. According to the Detroit Free Press, over a dozen Lions players have already been notified that they have been cut. So far, we’ve only heard of six.The most recent player on that list is tight end Marcus Lucas. According to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, Lucas has been cut. Despite Jeremy’s love for him in the Name Bracket Tournament, Lucas was unable secure himself a spot on the Lions roster. He caught 10 passes (most for a Lions tight end) for 59 yards in the preseason (second most for a Lions tight end, behind Hakeem Valles), and added a touchdown against the Buccaneers. Unfortunately, most of Lucas’s snaps were deep into the second half, and he was unable to climb up the depth chart.Lucas is the first of the cuts among tight ends, and we’re still waiting to see how many the team will carry, including the aforementioned Valles or last year’s fourth-round pick Michael Roberts.Get up to date on the Lions’ cuts with our roster tracker.Detroit Lions Week 4 report card: Cowboys dominates the trenches You don’t win many games in the NFL when you can’t control the line of scrimmage. That’s exactly what happened to the Detroit Lions on Sunday Youth Isaac Nauta Jersey , as the Dallas Cowboys’ big men were much more effective than the Lions’ bigs. But the game is about much more than that. So here are my full positional grades for the Lions’ Week 4 performance.Quarterback: B+Statistically, this was Matthew Stafford’s best game, completing 80 percent of his passes for 10.2 yards per attempt and two touchdowns. It was also his first game this season without a turnover.Maybe I’m holding Stafford to too high of standard, but I still think he left some plays out there, especially early in the game. He wasn’t helped by mediocre-at-best pass protection, but he missed on a couple of throws in the first half, and overlooked a few open receivers.Running backs: C+Kerryon Johnson had two excellent runs, but was otherwise very quiet on the day. LeGarrette Blount was downright awful. Theo Riddick continues to see his role diminished every week.A lot of talk will be about the Lions’ decision to use Johnson—which I’ll get into in the coach section, but Detroit’s running game was largely ineffective all game. It was only the backs’ faults, but I would’ve liked to see more out of them on Sunday. Wide receivers: A-Golden Tate had himself one of the best games of his career. He caught all eight of his targets, turned a quarter of them into touchdowns Austin Bryant Detroit Lions Jersey , turned another four into first downs and finished with 132 yards—the sixth-highest in his career.Kenny Golladay pulled down a couple of eye-popping catches, and Marvin Jones Jr. pulled down another big play on Sunday.This team has a spoil of riches at receiver, but the only reason I didn’t give them a full ‘A’ was because I’d like to see them get open a little more often. Tight ends: CThree different tight ends pulled in catches against the Cowboys, which was nice to see. In total, they were responsible for four catches and 24 yards—hardly enough to sway the game, but it put the offense in better down-and-distance scenarios. I saw a few decent blocks from Luke Willson on the day, but overall their run blocking left much to be desired. Offensive line: DIt always hurts when you lose one of your better linemen in the first quarter, but it’s clear this front was devastated by T.J. Lang’s concussion. After so few negative plays against the Patriots, the Lions allowed three sacks and had five rushes go for zero or negative yards against the Cowboys. There wasn’t one particular lineman that was culpable for the unit’s struggles which is actually more concerning. This was a huge step back after one of the best performances in recent memory last week. Defensive line: DNot much good to say here. Outside of Da’Shawn Hand and a couple of decent plays from A’Shawn Robinson, this defensive line looked as bad as we thought it was on paper. The holes Ezekiel Elliott was running through were not just massive, they were literally unbelievable. And when the Cowboys wanted to throw the ball White Isaac Nauta Jersey , Dak Prescott generally had as much time as he wanted, despite Detroit’s three sacks. The final drive was a perfect example of how this team’s lack of pass rush will lose them games. Linebackers: D+It would be easy for me to sit here and slam Jarrad Davis for giving up what ended up being the game-winning reception, but that was a tough draw for Davis and it took an absolute dime from Prescott to drop it into a fairly small window. I actually thought Davis played his best game of the season. However, the rest of the unit did not look good. Elliott was always going to break some tackles, but by the game’s end he was no longer breaking 6 or 7-yard runs. They were turning into 15, 20, or even a 40-yard run when the Cowboys were hitting their stride. And while Kennard picked up his fourth sack of the season, he was largely absent the rest of the game.Secondary: DToo many flags. Too many instances of Cole Beasley burning Jamal Agnew. Too many “YOU WERE RIGHT THERE NEVIN LAWSON, MAKE A FRIGGIN’ PLAY!”Darius Slay remains a god-send, but this secondary has struggled now in three out of four games. Special teams: BSpecial teams was a complete non-factor in this game. There were only two kick or punt returns in the entire game (a kick return for each team). No missed field goals, no missed extra points Luke Willson Jersey , and Sam Martin was fine in his four punts. The only slightly negative play was when Dee Virgin’s tiptoe touched the goal line, causing a touchback instead of the Cowboys starting at their 1-yard line. Coaching: D+Matt Patricia was dogged by fans for two reasons in this game, and I’m not particularly offended by either. Many believe he wasted too much time at the end of the half after Matthew Stafford got sacked, and because of it, the Lions threw away a possession. I don’t see it that way. The sack put the Lions in a tough position, made worse by a failed screen on second down. At that point, the Lions offense was in such a bad position that the Lions were right to burn clock so that the Cowboys wouldn’t have had any time to score again. The other was the team’s decision to essentially split carries between Johnson (9) and Blount (7). While it’s clear Johnson is the better overall rusher, it’s silly to assume the rookie would’ve taken Blount’s carries and done a ton more with them. Throughout the majority of this game, the Lions running game was ineffective, whether Johnson or Blount was in. Johnson saw six consecutive carries go for 9 total yards. The problems with the Lions’ running game ran a lot deeper than using Blount too much.So why did I give the coaching a D+? Well, because their overall gameplans were ineffective. Stop Ezekiel Elliott should’ve been this defense’s No. 1 goal (and their No. 2 Sylvester Williams Jersey , 3, 4, 5 and 6 goal). Obviously that’s easier said than done, but the man had 240 all-purpose yards with little pushback. That can’t happen.Offensively, the Lions continued to struggle in the red zone, which is often the result of poor play calling. When the red zone issues are this consistent, it’s going to cost you games, and that’s exactly what happened Sunday.

Over two weeks Corey Linsley Jersey , Acme Packing Company will break down the Green Bay Packers’ 2018 roster position-by-position, providing our grades for each spot and looking ahead to free agency. Today, we continue with the wide receivers.As we conclude wide receiver day here at Acme Packing Company, we for the first time begin breaking down players whose contracts will expire at the end of the 2018 league year in March. Three Packers receivers fall into that category, with one player eligible for each type of free agency: unrestricted, restricted, and exclusive-rights.Davante Adams is in place for the foreseeable future, signing a new contract at the end of the 2017 season. Likewise, the Packers’ rookies are all under contract for three more years, taking them through 2021. However, the middle of the depth chart remains a question mark.Randall CobbNFL Experience: Eight yearsFA Status: UnrestrictedExpiring Contract: 4 years, $40M; 2018 cap hit $12.25M2018 Stats: 9 games played, 6 starts; 61 targets, 38 receptions; 383 yards (10.1 Y/R), 2 touchdownsAfter the season that Cobb just put up, it’s difficult to imagine him coming back to the Packers at all in 2019, even if he takes a much less lucrative contract than the one expiring this March. By Football Outsiders’ account, Cobb was 78th of 84 receivers in DVOA and 76th in DYAR, putting him both well below average and below replacement-level. Interestingly, however, one of the names mentioned as a possible free agent signing is Golden Tate Nick Perry Jersey , who finished even lower than Cobb in both categories.In every one of the four years since Cobb signed his big deal, he has dealt with injury issues. He played through them in 2015 to suit up for all 16 games, but missed ten games total over the last three. Combined with waning physical abilities, any potential payday for him will be drastically lower, and the Packers would be wise to see what other options are on the market before committing any money to bringing him back.Geronimo AllisonNFL Experience: Three yearsFA Status: RestrictedExpiring Contract: One year, $630,0002018 Stats: 5 games played, 4 starts; 30 targets, 20 receptions; 303 yards (15.2 Y/R), 2 touchdownsWhile Cobb scuffled to start the year (outside of a big game and a big touchdown in week one), Allison looked like a budding star, on pace for a 1,000-yard season and leading the team in receiving yards in the first four games. Allison’s yards per catch was just a few tenths of a yard behind that of Equanimeous St. Brown and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, showing that he’s becoming a deep threat.This year, the restricted free agency tender amounts are expected to be around the following numbers, according to Over the Cap:Right of first refusal: $2.035MSecond-round: $3.110MFirst-round: $4.429MThe Packers might be taking a big chance on losing Allison if they sign him to only a right-of-first refusal tender. Given his play early in 2018, it is probably worth the extra million dollars to give him the second-round tender and ensure that Allison does not get a big offer sheet elsewhere — or at least provide the team with compensation if he does.If a team still chose to give Allison a big offer sheet despite that tender, the Packers could then simply let him take it and use the second-round pick coming their way to help bolster the receiver position with a player possessing more impressive physical tools. In that situation, a player like Parris Campbell or Deebo Samuel would be a great fit as a slot weapon, allowing the team to continue developing its 2018 rookies as boundary receivers. Still, keeping Allison on board for another year is the best option.Jake KumerowNFL Experience: One yearFA Status: Exclusive-rightsExpiring Contract: One year Bryan Bulaga Jersey , $480,0002018 Stats: 5 games played, 2 starts; 11 targets, 8 receptions; 103 yards (12.9 Y/R), 1 touchdownWith fewer than three accrued seasons towards free agency, Kumerow is an exclusive-rights player. For the Packers, that means that the team can offer him a non-guaranteed, one-year contract at the league minimum and guarantee that he returns for 2019. That’s a no-brainer for this team, especially given how much praise Aaron Rodgers heaped on him last summer.With decent-but-not-greatphysical tools in every area, Kumerow is forced to be a technician at the position if he wants to claim a roster spot again, and by all accounts he is a tireless worker off the field. His route-running appears to be quite solid, which could make him a good option in the slot or as a fourth or fifth option. Furthermore, he could be of use on special teams as well. There’s no reason to avoid signing him, given the lack of risk. One of the worst things a quarterback can do is to check down on third and long. Yes, sometimes a receiver will heroically make it to the sticks, but in general, if a quarterback doesn’t throw to the sticks, they are often (but as it turns out, not always!) conceding a punt, which is the equivalent of conceding a turnover.Every year, Football Outsiders measures a QB’s propensity to check down at the worst possible time through the stat of ALEX (Air Less EXpected Mason Crosby Jersey , named in honor of Alex Smith). ALEX is a measure of whether or not quarterbacks throw to the sticks on third down. Checking down on third down is usually a bad idea, and so ALEX was developed to shed light on the cowardly, while highlighting the accomplishments of the smart and brave. The good thing for the Green Bay Packers is that even in a down year, Aaron Rodgers, was smart and brave, throwing to the sticks on 3rd down more often than anyone outside of the otherworldly Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs. The bad thing was that Rodgers wasn’t actually very good at completing those passes, because even though he was 2nd in ALEX, he was 21st in conversion rate. There are all sorts of reasons for this, including poor play-calling, an outdated strategy that relied on “trying to make third down manageable,” a maddening tendency to take sacks, an inexperienced receiving crew, and throwing bombs on 3rd and 1 for no good reason. However, the fact still stands that Rodgers was smart enough to throw past the first down marker, though he was unable to actually complete most of those passes.2018 was an interesting season that really showed everyone the value of intelligent playcalling, and in ALEX, the geniuses came through in an unconventional way. Jared Goff, Andrew Luck, and Drew Brees all ranked in the lower half of ALEX, but as it turns out, if your scheme is good enough your receivers can actually pick up first downs through YAC. Surprisingly David Bakhtiari Jersey , all three of those quarterbacks finished in the top ten in conversion rate. Some short passes are made out of panic, and some are made out of well-designed surgical strikes; in the modern game, ALEX probably requires more context than it used to. If you generate reliable YAC, throwing short isn’t so bad. Goff and Brees are typical of a movement in the NFL that has well-run teams focusing on avoiding third downs altogether, often throwing to the ALEX-level on first and second down. On third down, the Saints and Rams in particular focus on conversion rate above all else. They get conservative in terms of bombs and other low-completion-percentage, high leverage throws, but pull out any play that can get them ten yards, whether or not the requires an ALEX throw. The smart teams have figured out which plays are most likely to move the sticks, and that is what they run in crunch time.It’s better to be Aaron Rodgers than old Alex Smith, but it’s best to have a good QB working in an analytically-minded offense. Maybe we’ll get there next season. Marcus Mariota and Matt LaFleurWe may not know much of new head coach Matt LaFleur, but at the very least he had Marcus Mariota throwing to the sticks, and unlike Aaron Rodgers, Marcus was pretty good at doing so. In 2018, Mariota ranked 10th in ALEX and 5th in conversion rate. That alone would provide some hope for Matt LaFleur, although Mariota was also good in ALEX before LaFleur arrived. I suspect that ALEX is more of a coaching-based stat when we see high conversion rates paired with low ALEX, and more of a QB stat when we see either low-low, or any kind of high ALEX. In any case, this probably says more about Mariota than LaFleur, but at least LaFleur’s offense wasn’t getting in the way.

That’s good for Indy and bad for Houston."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Texans StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Texans NewsYahoo Texans Team PageYahoo Texans ReportYahoo Texans Depth ChartYahoo Texans TransactionsYahoo Texans PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕2019 NFL Free Agency2019 NFL Free Agency News: Indianapolis Colts Sign Justin HoustonNew Ka’imi Fairbairn Jersey ,56commentsThat’s good for Indy and bad for Houston.CDTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Free Agency News: Indianapolis Colts Sign Justin HoustonJustin Houston will no longer be chasing down Andrew Luck when it counts.Denny Medley-USA TODAY SportsI’ll let Adam Schefter do the heavy lifting:Matt Eberflus’ defense ranked 10th in the NFL by DVOA last year, a fairly amazing feat considering the lack of big names on the squad. Adding Justin Houston to the equation gives the team a ferocious EDGE rusher, especially in sub packages. Even though Houston will play the 2019 season at 30 years old, he still has more than enough speed and quicks to do damage.Fortunately, the Houston Texans signed the following offensive linemen off other rosters in free agency to help keep Deshaun Watson clean:This signing has the potential to be a huge problem for the Texans. It is an area where another horseman couldn’t hurt."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Texans StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Texans NewsYahoo Texans Team PageYahoo Texans ReportYahoo Texans Depth ChartYahoo Texans TransactionsYahoo Texans PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub 鉁?019 Houston Texans Offseason2019 NFL Draft2019 NFL Free AgencyWhat Should Houston Do At Running Back Moving Forward? New,41commentsIt is an area where another horseman couldn’t hurt.CSTShareTweetShareShareWhat Should Houston Do At Running Back Moving Forward? Troy Taormina-USA TODAY SportsLamar Miller is entering the final year of a four-year deal worth $26 million.Texans general manager Brian Gaine has already come out and said that Miller will be the team’s starter for the 2019 season. He called the 27-year old veteran a “three-down back.”In 14 games last season, Miller rushed for 973 yards and five scores.When asked about backup running back D’Onta Foreman Kendall Lamm Jersey , Gaine said he was optimistic the third-year back will have a greater contribution as he gets back to full health.Foreman spent almost the entirety of 2018 recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in November 2017.What should the Texans do about the running back position moving forward?Lamar Miller will want to get paid handsomely next season.He’ll be 28 by the time he hits the market. One would have to imagine that in Miller’s last opportunity for a hefty paycheck as a professional football player, he will be looking for the highest bidder.Miller is going to command a bigger deal, and Foreman is a mystery.The Texans need to first worry about the inevitable (yet deserved) day when franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson will seek a mega deal. Both he and Patrick Mahomes could be the first ever $200 million NFL contracts.Former first overall draft pick Jadeveon Clowney wants a payday to remain in Houston.Wide receiver Will Fuller is eligible for free agency in 2020; he is arguably the best over-the-top receiver in the league when healthy, a modern day DeSean Jackson, if you will.When several players who are more important to the nucleus of the Texans due for raises, Miller will likely have to search elsewhere if money is his priority.D’Onta Foreman is an unproven commodity who needs to show that he can return to full health and pre-injury ability.Before his rookie season injury, the running back out of Texas averaged 4.2 yards per carry in his limited playing time Joel Heath Jersey , so there is reason to hope he can produce on this level despite the significance of an Achilles injury.The Texans have decisions to make. If you are the type of person who lives in the moment, you have nothing to worry about. If you are the type who is constantly focused on the future, it is time to address the issue before it’s too late.First of all, Le’Veon Bell is not happening. It was a fun thought once upon a time, but another team can back up the Brinks truck for that one.There has been speculation that the Texans may chase Tevin Coleman. The fifth-year running back was an intricate part of the Falcons during their Super Bowl run in 2016, and he performed well last season when starter Devonta Freeman missed extended time due to injury. Coleman is mainly an up-the-middle running back who can also be useful in the short passing game. That sounds a whole lot like Lamar Miller. Coleman is a good option, but he is not going to solve any big running back problems. He is better suited for a by-committee tandem D.J. Reader Jersey , if the Texans are interested in that.Other free agents include Mark Ingram, Doug Martin, Marshawn Lynch, Mike Davis, and C.J. Anderson.It’s hard to imagine any of them would draw much of the Texans’ interest because of money, age, or injury history.The Texans could also look to the 2019 NFL Draft for a running back. The issue with that is their list of priorities. The offensive line desperately needs to be addressed Christian Covington Jersey , as does the secondary. If the Texans want to look for a running back prospect, they may need to do it in a later round. That takes the big names off the table and turns it into a gamble-type situation.Will Bryce Love out of Stanford fall far enough into the draft? What about Justice Hill from Oklahoma State? Darrell Henderson from Memphis?Luckily, these questions are not in dire need of answering at this moment.But if you are like me, and you think about issues that won’t be relevant for a whole year, it is a slight concern as the 2019 offseason rolls on.

The Buccaneers and Bengals both have visits scheduled with former LSU linebacker Devin White in the near future and they are also going to be spending time with another top linebacker prospect with the same first name.Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that former Michigan linebacker Devin Bush is visiting with the Bengals on Monday. He’s set to move on for a visit with the Buccaneers after spending time in Cincinnati.Bush is generally projected to be a first-round pick Michael Jordan Jersey Womens , although most expect White will be selected ahead of him once the draft is underway in Nashville. The Bucs currently hold the fifth overall pick while the Bengals are at No. 11, but one never knows where they’ll actually make their selection given the possibility of trades once the first round is underway.Bush had 80 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks for the Wolverines last season. The Bengals new coaching staff is looking forward to being allowed to do a little bit more during practice." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteCincy Junglea Cincinnati Bengals communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsLibraryBengalsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBABengals News (5/15): Cincinnati prepares to head to OTAsThe Bengals new coaching staff is looking forward to being allowed to do a little bit more during practice.EDTShareTweetShareShareBengals News (5/15): Cincinnati prepares to head to OTAsDavid Kohl-USA TODAY SportsBengals Eye Next Phase As Practice BeckonsWith the first practice of spring set for Monday, new Bengals head coach Zac Taylor’s installation on both sides of the ball has been on fast forward. Offensive coordinator Brian Callahan figures 85 percent of his scheme has been installed while seven-year safety Shawn Williams, the Generalissimo of the secondary now that George “General,” Iloka is gone, puts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s playbook at 90 percent complete.WATCH: Ventell Bryant highlights and film footageOne of those was bringing on Temple wide receiver Ventell Bryant, a 6’3″ target who put up 690 yards and three scores last season and for his career averaged 14.1 yards per catch.RB Rodney Anderson eyes return for Cincinnati Bengals training campThe rookie running back selected in the sixth round of last month's NFL Draft went to the same high school Youth Michael Jordan Jersey , Katy High near Houston, as quarterback Andy Dalton. And he played at Oklahoma with running back Joe Mixon and linebacker Jordan Evans after he initially verbally committed to Texas A&M, where he would have teamed up with fellow Bengals draft pick and running back Trayveon Williams.Bengals notebook: Tyler Eifert 'doing pretty much everything'"I'm doing pretty much everything," said Eifert, who underwent surgery in October to repair a gruesome broken ankle. "There's a couple things here and there but for the most part it's all doing everything with the guys."Drew Sample earns strong review coming out of Bengals rookie minicampAfter trading down, Sample was still widely viewed as a reach. Zac Taylor and Co. obviously felt differently but the only thing that will silence detractors of the pick is Sample’s play on the field.Cincinnati Bengals rookie Germaine Pratt eager to learnThe Cincinnati Bengals selected Pratt, a linebacker from N.C. State, in the third round. The last few weeks White Michael Jordan Jersey , he admittedly has reverted back to his childhood dreamworld more than a few times.Random NewsJosh Rosen still hasn't heard from Cardinals GM KeimJosh Rosen's time in Arizona lasted a single season before the Cardinals supplanted him with Kyler Murray. The machinations of how the quarterback went from future of the franchise to superfluous afterthought have been rehashed over and over in the aftermath of Rosen's trade to the Miami Dolphins.Niners expected to sign TE Levine ToiloloA former fourth-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2013, Toilolo spent the 2018 campaign in Detroit. The 27-year-old compiled 21 catches for 263 yards and one touchdown, but became the Lions top tight end by the end of the season.Jags' Campbell, Jack support Telvin Smith's decision"I was able to speak to him a little bit you know and that was good for me," Campbell said, via The Florida Times Union. "He's an incredible guy, knows the game of football. When he says he needs a moment, need some time Tyler Eifert Jersey , you have to respect that. This is guy that dedicated his life to the game and has for a long time. I'm here for him."NFL weighs in on Pelicans getting No. 1 NBA pickAhead of what many predict will be the most high-profile offseason in NBA history, with myriad elite players headed to free agency, the lottery was as big as ever with the top team having the opportunity to take Williamson.Colts LB Darius Leonard recovering from ankle surgeryGiven that timetable, the linebacker will likely miss all of organized team activities, which begin next Tuesday, and mandatory minicamp, but should be ready to return for the start of training camp in late July.

The Detroit Lions have won two straight and three of four in large part because they finally have a running game.In Sunday's 32-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins Kerry Hyder Jersey White , the Lions churned out 248 yards on the ground, their highest single-game rushing output in 21 years.The Lions averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Kerryon Johnson ran for 158 yards, including a 71-yard burst in the first quarter.It was the first time all season that the Lions had executed more run plays than pass plays in a game."I think just as a team it makes it a lot better for everyone," Johnson said. "I feel like (Lions quarterback) Matt (Stafford) feels like he doesn't have as much pressure on him. Our O-line knows what they're capable of doing. Our defense knows that we can go on sustained drives."I think as a team it just helps everybody mentally, and obviously it helps us win games."It was their best rushing performance since the Lions ran for 249 yards in a 32-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 23, 1997. Barry Sanders rambled for 216 yards in that game. It was also the first time Detroit averaged at least 7.0 yards per carry on at least 35 attempts since Nov. 24, 1991.Johnson had 100 rushing yards in the first half, becoming the first Lions player to do so since Reggie Bush on Sept. 29, 2013. Johnson joined Isaiah Crowell as the only NFL running backs to rush for 100 yards in the first half of a game this season. Johnson also became only the fifth rookie running back to have multiple 100-yard rushing games in Lions history.This is the same team that ran for just 39 yards in a season-opening 48-17 loss to the New York Jets."We're always going to try to be balanced the best we can Luke Willson Jersey ," Lions coach Matt Patricia said. "We want to be able to run it if we have to and throw it when we have to do that. It was good to see the run game be productive.""Look, when you go out and you can execute and do it the right way, it looks really good. We've seen it when it doesn't look so good the other way."Detroit is 11th in the NFL in rushing yardage, averaging 122.3 yards per game. The Lions were last in the league in rushing in 2017, averaging 76.3 yards per game.That forced the team too often to be reliant on Stafford's arm. He finished fourth among QBs in pass attempts last season. This season, Stafford is 19th in the NFL in pass attempts."As an offensive lineman, you know if you can establish the run game, you don't have to sit there and drop back and pass the ball 50 times," Lions left tackle Taylor Decker said. "That's part of the game Jarrad Davis Jersey White , but that's not always the most fun for an offensive lineman."Run-blocking, where they get to attack the defense, is a far more enjoyable experience for the offensive linemen."When you're able to establish a run game, that opens up everything else for us," Decker said. "It's going to open up our play-action pass. That's going to open up our passing on third down, because we're going to have a lot more calls to go to."As good as their ground game has been, the Lions believe that there are more yards to be gained."There are definitely plays that we see on film that we could have done a better job," Patricia said. "We could have blocked better, we could have identified better Womens Frank Ragnow Jersey , to get that extra yardage that was left out on the field." Is this the piece the Colts need to take the next step?"The Indianapolis Colts appear ready to take the AFC South by storm. After a putrid 1-5 start under new head coach Frank Reich, the Colts won nine of their final 10 regular season games, and added a playoff win to top it off. In our Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, Smurph0404 is the Colts acting general manager, and his job is to continue this momentum into 2019. With the 26th pick in the POD Community Mock, Smurph0404 has selected Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Here’s why, in Smurph0404’s own word: “This was a tough pick. My first instinct was to jump on cornerback Byron Murphy out of Washington. Getting the chance to take the No. 2 CB off the board at 26 is good value, and Murphy fits well in the zone-heavy scheme that Indy’s secondary ran last year. There is value to be had at safety too, with only one off the board so far. WR should be a consideration at some point since the Colts passing game struggled when T.Y. Hilton missed some games last year and played hurt in a few more. Other needs for the Colts are along the defensive front. They added Justin Houston in free agency but more pass rush is always welcome. Denico Autry and late bloomer Margus Hunt finished out the season as starters at DT Sam Martin Jersey White , but Hunt is over 30 and there is room for upgrades on the line. I was hoping to snag Christian Wilkins or Jerry Tillery here, but the defensive line players are getting snapped up quickly.In the end, I decided that the Colts needed their own Snacks. Dexter Lawrence is a 340-pound, run-stuffing defensive tackle, but one who is strong and athletic enough to move the pocket and cause problems for quarterbacks. Most of all, planting him in the middle of the line will demand attention and create more opportunities for players like Houston and Hunt to rush the passer. Lawrence isn’t as great of a fit as Wilkins or Tillery would have been, and there are character concerns stemming from a suspension at Clemson, but with an elite RAS at a position of need, he is too good to pass up.A large part of my reasoning here is the fact that the Colts pick again just eight picks later in the second round. With only one corner and one safety off the board T.J. Jones Jersey , there should still be value at DB for the next pick. But with the number of DTs and pass rushers that have gone so far, I figured if I wanted to add first round value on the defensive line, I needed to get it now.”Catch up on all of the picks with our Community Mock Draft Tracker

All six of the team’s ERFAs are now either tendered or under contract."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections The APC PodcastPackers Film RoomFantasy Football AdviceCDTShareTweetShareSharePackers tender all remaining ERFA players for 2019 Reggie White Jersey , including Jake Kumerow & Reggie GilbertVincent Carchietta-USA TODAY SportsA few days ago, the Green Bay Packers locked in two of their exclusive-rights free agent players. They signed defensive lineman Fadol Brown to a one-year contract on Thursday before issuing a one-year ERFA tender to tight end Robert Tonyan on Friday evening.Now, the rest of the team’s six-man ERFA class is locked in for 2019.On Monday, news broke that all four of the other players with that free agent status for this season have received their tenders as well. That list includes outside linebacker Reggie Gilbert, wide receiver Jake Kumerow, and offensive guards Justin McCray and Lucas Patrick. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported the roster moves.Kumerow’s tender should come as no surprise. He looked poised for a significant role on offense in 2018 through two preseason games Lance Kendricks Jersey White , but injured himself on a tuck-and-roll into the end zone and landed on injured reserve to start the season. However, he did return late in the year, catching a long touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers against the Jets in 2018. After earning Rodgers’ praise this summer, Kumerow should at least be in the running for a depth and special teams role in 2019.Gilbert comes back as one of only a few edge rushers on the Packers’ roster with some level of certainty. Kyler Fackrell will enter his fourth NFL season this fall, and his contract will expire in 2020. Meanwhile, Nick Perry remains a candidate for release this week while Clay Matthews is set to be an unrestricted free agent. Gilbert had 2.5 sacks in rotational duty for the Packers last season.The offensive linemen both represent intriguing young players with potential but who appear to be moving in different directions. McCray entered 2018’s training camp as the starting right guard Womens Jaire Alexander Jersey , but poor play early in the season and an injury landed him on the bench in favor of veteran journeyman Byron Bell. Then late in the season, after Bell landed on injured reserve and McCray was back at full health, it was Patrick who took over as the starter. The team will surely look to add more talent at that position in free agency or the draft, but bringing both players back on will ensure some depth and competition at that spot.The tender for an ERFA player is for a one-year contract at the league-minimum salary. Once tendered, the players are free to negotiate for a different deal with their team, but are not permitted to negotiate with other teams in the NFL.Packers tried to claim former Lions DE Anthony Zettel on waivers The Green Bay Packers and general manager Brian Gutekunst are not finished trying to improve their 53-man roster. That much was made clear this week Womens Blake Martinez Jersey , when the team added linebacker Korey Toomer and running back Darius Jackson to the 53.However, later on in the week, the Packers attempted to add another recently-released player to the roster. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Packers were one of four teams to submit a waiver claim for defensive end Anthony Zettel, who was recently released by the Detroit Lions. Unfortunately for the Packers, one of those other franchises who also submitted claims held a higher waiver priority: the Cleveland Browns Demetri Goodson Jersey White , who have now added six players through waivers since last Saturday’s cut-down deadline.Zettel’s release from Detroit was a bit of a surprise, as the third-year player had started every game in 2017 and recorded 6.5 sacks. He was a sixth-round pick of Detroit’s in 2016 and was waived to make room for another defensive end, former New York Giant Romeo Okwara. The Detroit Free Press described Zettel as an “imperfect fit for first-year coach Matt Patricia’s defense,” and his build would suggest that he seems a bit of an odd fit for Mike Pettine’s defense as well. Zettel is listed at 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, a little heavier than is typical for a 3-4 outside linebacker but lighter than the ideal for a 5-technique defensive end. He actually played defensive tackle in college at Penn State but ran an impressive 40-yard dash at the 2016 Combine, posting a time of 4.81 seconds. In four career games against the Packers Aaron Rodgers Jersey , Zettel recorded eight total tackles and one sack.The fact that the Packers were interested enough in Zettel to put in a claim suggests that Gutekunst will continue to scour the waiver wire and free agent market to improve the Packers’ roster on the margins. He said that the Packers’ 53-man roster will continue to be “fluid” throughout the season, and although the team did not actually acquire Zettel, the claim is a sign that he is sticking true to his word.

It’s officially the Jason Spriggs show today. The Green Bay Packers will start Spriggs at right tackle today against the Chicago Bears Jimmy Graham Jersey White , due to the injury to regular starter Bryan Bulaga. Bulaga’s knee injury will keep him out a second straight week, and he is the biggest name on the team’s inactive list today.Awaiting Spriggs is one of the most productive pass-rushers in the NFL this year, Khalil Mack. Mack has ten sacks on the season and he leads the league with six forced fumbles, which is one more than his previous career-high for a single season (set in 2016). That matchup should be a critically important one in this game; when the two teams met in week one, Mack was dominant in the first half but was held sackless after halftime during the Packers’ furious comeback to victory.Also critical for the Packers is the absence of defensive tackle Kenny Clark. The lone remaining week one starting defensive lineman on the active roster, Clark was unable to practice all week with an elbow injury. He joins Bulaga on the inactives list, which will mean a heavier workload is in store for reserve players Tyler Lancaster and Montravius Adams. This will also present a difficult challenge for defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who will need to defend a physical Bears rushing attack without his best interior lineman.Those two players were both listed on Friday’s injury report, with Bulaga listed as doubtful and Clark questionable. The other player with an injury status, cornerback Bashaud Breeland, is active and will play today. However Jamaal Williams Jersey White , he missed practice all week due to a personal issue and his workload may be limited.Tune in for the game at 12 noon central.Packers InactivesQB Tim BoyleOT Bryan BulagaDT Kenny ClarkOLB Kendall DonnersonCB Natrell JamersonOL Adam PankeyOL Nico SiragusaBears InactivesQB Tyler BrayFB Michael BurtonOL Rashaad CowardLB Kylie FittsWR Kevin WhiteDT Nick WilliamsWR Jason WimsThree free agent roster cuts who could help the Packers in 2018 League-wide cuts and waiver-wire pickups have commenced with a few surprises for the Green Bay Packers. The 53-man roster, which looks drastically different than it did at the end of last season, initially featured a wide receiver group that was stacked eight deep before announcing Monday morning that rookie WR Jake Kumerow has been placed on injured reserve.The roster also listed just two running backs in addition to Aaron Jones’ return after his two-game suspension, four outside linebackers, four tight ends, and three quarterbacks. Adding to Kumerow’s placement, the Packers announced Monday they have released CB Herb Waters and signed for 49ers inside LB Korey Toomer leaving one open spot on the active roster, which they later filled by signing RB Darius Jackson from Dallas to the active roster.While the roster will likely remain the same for the time being, GM Brian Gutekunst has been vocal about change, noting after final cuts that “nothing’s set in stone. It’s still fluid, and it will be all season.” With that Womens Mike Daniels Jersey , here’s a look at a few free agents whom the Packers could consider in the future.Frank ZomboThe outside linebacker position is one that the Packers must look to add some depth. Reggie Gilbert had a strong preseason and with a healthy Clay Matthews and Nick Perry, the Packers have a solid group at the position. Healthy is the key word, however. Both Matthews and Perry seem to struggle every year with injuries and the more than anything the Packers need someone who will likely have to pick up the pieces at some point this season.One of those players could be former Packer and veteran outside linebacker Frank Zombo, who was released after five years in Kansas City. Zombo was signed by the Packers after he went undrafted in 2010 and was a starter in Super Bowl XLV. While in Kansas City, Zombo played in 80 games and started in 27 with 123 combined tackles, 7.5 sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries. He’s been relatively healthy during his time in Kansas City and was also a reliable special teams player. As noted by Rob Demovsky, he could already be one of the Packers’ better edge rushers if they decided to bring him back.Nate Orchard Nate Orchard may have warmed hearts on Hard Knocks but it wasn’t enough to keep him on the roster in Cleveland. The former Utah defensive end was selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2015 draft but remained inconsistent throughout his four-year career. He played 34 games and recorded five sacks and 65 tackles during that time. The upside of Orchard is that he has shown some explosiveness, like in Week 4 of the preseason when he picked off Lions’ QB Matt Cassel and returned it for a 64-yard TD. He’s could be an upgrade from Kyler Fackrell Womens Jake Ryan Jersey , but the downside is his lack of consistency. At best he could provide a temporary solution to the lack of depth at the position if needed. Xavier Su’a FiloThe offensive line has been perpetually lacking in backups for years and veteran G Xavier Su’a Filo is a big-bodied player who could potentially step in. Su’a Filo was drafted in the second-round in 2014 by the Texans at No. 33 overall and was the highest drafted offensive lineman out of UCLA since HOF offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden in 1996. Su’a Filo started 31 games for the Texans before being signed by the Titans under a one-year contract.Despite a strong college career, Su’a Filo has struggled in the NFL. However, he’s big and versatile enough to step in if injuries should start to pile up once again. It’s unclear whether the Packers will make any more moves before they kick off the season against the Bears on Sunday night. However, Gutekunst has made it known that he’ll always look to keep the best players on the field. “It’s a puzzle,” he said, “and as we were going through, we were just trying to keep the best 53 that would be available for this week’s game. Again, it’s a fluid situation that changes day by day.”

The Detroit Lions are beaten and bruised at the moment. With the additions of Bruce Ellington and Charles Washington Saturday Matthew Stafford Jersey , the team now has eleven players on injured reserve. With so many players on the sideline their gameday roster looks depleted for their Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Lions inactives include second year cornerback Teez Tabor, who is once again a healthy scratch. Chris Lacy and Dee Virgin, who were both recently added to the 53-man roster are also inactive Sunday.A bit of injury luck did break the team’s way, though. Defensive tackle Damon Harrison Sr. will be active after being listed as questionable for much of the week with an ankle injury. Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford will continue his long running start streak as he will play despite a back injury. Jamal Agnew is also set to return from IR after missing much of the season with a knee injury.Minnesota has a relatively clean bill of health. They will be without star linebacker Eric Kendricks, though Tracy Walker Jersey , as he missed practice for much of this week with a hamstring injury. Detroit Lions inactivesDE Kerry HyderCB Teez TaborCB Dee VirginOL Andrew DonnalLB Nicholas GrigsbyWR Chris LacyC Leo KoloamatangiMinnesota VikingsQB Kyle SloterWR Laquon TreadwellCB Craig JamesRB Mike BooneLB Eric KendricksG Danny IsidoraDE Tashawn Bower The Detroit Lions are 2-3 at the bye week, and while that is probably not where they want to be right now, they’re still in the thick of things. There’s only one team in the division with more wins than them, and only four in the entire conference. Considering this team started with two ugly losses, that’s at least some kind of minor accomplishment.The interesting thing about the Lions’ two wins is that they won in different ways. No drastic Matthew Stafford comebacks were needed. No Calvin Johnson-esque performance was needed. Both victories over the Packers and Patriots were true team wins Da’Shawn Hand Jersey , making it hard to point to a single player or two responsible for the victories. So today’s question is a tricky one. Who has been the Lions’ MVP through five games?My answer: Every week we do a Game Ball poll to decide the best three players each week. The top vote getter gets three points, second place gets two and third place gets one. Here’s a look at the standings through five games. Kenny Golladay - 9.5Da’Shawn Hand - 3Devon Kennard - 3Kerryon Johnson - 3Golden Tate - 3Matthew Stafford - 2Frank Ragnow - 2Quandre Diggs - 2Darius Slay - 1.5Romeo Okwara - 1 Kenny Golladay doesn’t even lead the Lions in receptions or yards, but he’s absolutely running away with the Game Ball so far, and it’s hard for me to disagree. The man is making big plays in big moments. Last year it was Marvin Jones Jr. who was making highlight reel catches on weekly basis. He has passed that torch to Golladay this year. And the thing is, Golladay has made several plays that were nullified by penalties Jarrad Davis Jersey , too. His impressive 428 yards and three touchdowns should be even higher than that.It’s hard to point to a single player that has been consistently good for all five games so far, but Golladay is the closest this team has. He has at least four catches and 50 yards in all five games this year, and has a catch of 20+ yards in four of five contests. It may not be official on the stat sheet or the snap counts, but Golladay is this team’s No. 1 receiver right now, and he’s been the MVP through five weeks.Your turn.

GM Brian Gutekunst will have his work cut out for him to plug several roster holes in one offseason."Seeing the Green Bay Packers sliding towards mediocrity with Aaron Rodgers still under center was not a development anyone saw coming just two years ago.Yet here we are.The 7-9 campaign of 2017 can be tossed due to Rodgers missing most of the season with a broken collarbone http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-deshone-kizer-jersey , but somehow they finished even worse in 2018 with a 6-9-1 and Rodgers playing the entire season albeit with a bum knee the first few weeks.How did they get here? Well, former coach Mike McCarthy was unable to evolve his offense whilst taking advantage of one of the league’s most gifted passers. The team apparently agreed and McCarthy was shown his walking papers in December and replaced him with a young innovator in Matt LaFleur.Yet the coach can only cook with the ingredients he is given and going back as far as 2014, the cupboard has gotten increasingly bare and the blame lies not only with former general manager Ted Thompson but his successor Brian Gutekunst as well. There were either missed or botched free agent signings (Martellus Bennett, not re-signing Casey Hayward or just avoiding free agency completely) and misfires in the draft (missing on two cornerbacks in 2015 for Thompson or failing to address the pass rush in 2018 for Gutekunst). These mistakes have left Green Bay suddenly in the middle of the pack when they should still be a contender with Rodgers still at the controls.To fix these issues, it means Gutekunst is going to have to be aggressive in both free agency and the draft and also hit far more than he misses. Aside from the pass rush failure and overpaying Jimmy Graham http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-lane-taylor-jersey , he didn’t do too shabby last spring. He’ll have to improve that if the Packers want to plug all the holes on the roster.You can read more on how Green Bay got to where it is now plus a post-mortem on the team’s 2018 linebackers in today’s cheese curds.Packers’ failed player transition plans exacerbating roster deficiencies—Packers WireYou never want to pay “stupid money” in free agency, and the Packers never have for the past decade plus. With roster holes getting more numerous however, the team may have no choice but to open its wallet even further.Packers grades: Look for an infusion of new blood at linebacker—PackersNews.comKyler Fackrell seems to have the most secure spot on the roster among linebackers and that sentence was unthinkable a year ago.Packers Unscripted: Offensive rundown (video)—Packers.comHere’s a nice breakdown of LaFleur’s new offensive staff and what they bring to the table.Packers punter JK Scott working to improve his ‘load capacity’ for second season—AL.comHopefully the Packers see as little of Scott as possible in 2019 due to them scoring a record amount of points, but when he is needed hopefully he improves from an inconsistent rookie season.Deer crash through lawmaker’s office, bar—UPIOh deer. When the Green Bay Packers fired Mike McCarthy as their head coach Vince Biegel Jersey , it was widely assumed the team would pursue an offensive-minded coach to help fix Aaron Rodgers and the once-potent offense. What happens if that assumption is wrong and the Packers actually go with a defensive-minded coach?This would mean the offensive play caller could be completely in control of the offense and not also be tasked with overseeing the entire time like McCarthy was. It would mean more face-to-face time with Rodgers, who needs to be coached badly and the quarterback himself has gone on record saying that’s what he wants. The benefits of this are pretty tempting.The potential downside to this that it is much easier to fire coordinators than a head coach so if the next offensive coordinator doesn’t gel with Rodgers they’ll be shown the door quickly and that could create instability on that side of the ball. Even with an MVP quarterback that’s not a good thing.It also means the likely departure of Mike Pettine and a third defensive scheme in three years for the Packers. This also isn’t ideal.Green Bay should and probably will still go with an offensive-minded coach, but a defensive candidate should not ruled out. There’s more on the coaching search plus Green Bay’s newest receiver already loves his new team in today’s cheese curds.List of defensive candidates for Packers job could be impressive—PackersNews.comIf Green Bay goes defense, it would be the first defensive minded head coach since *gulp* Ray Rhodes, but it could work in theory.What You Might’ve Missed: Young guys in the trenches—Packers.comEven without Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-paul-hornung-jersey , the defensive line still held their own for the most part against Chicago despite one play where they parted like the Red Sea.Joe Philbin doesn’t plan to sit QB Rodgers—NFL.comHealth risks aside, further playing time would allow Rodgers to continue to develop chemistry with his young wide receivers, something that has definitely hampered the offense all season as our Peter Bukowski noted. Allen Lazard in ‘Football Heaven’ after signing with Packers—Des Moines RegisterThe former Iowa State standout understands he’s now in “football heaven” and immediately asked Twitter where the nearest Culver’s was so he could find some cheese curds. We think he will fit in just fine.Engineer uses glitter and fart smell to punish package thieves—UPIWant to steal a package? Prepare to look fabulous but smell terrible.